Radio Broadcast InformationKOZN (1620 The Zone) will broadcast all Creighton men’s basketball games during the 2013-14 season. John Bishop and Nick Bahe will call the action. The broadcast is also webcast live at 1620thezone.com. The pregame show “Bluejay Shootaround” is hosted by Josh Peterson and former Bluejay Josh Dotzler, and will air from 12:00 - 1:30 pm. Following the game, Tim Krueger and Heath Gunderson will host “Overtime” for approximately one hour, while also taking calls from listeners.

Broadcast InformationSunday’s game will be broadcast nationwide on CBS Sports Network, with Tom McCarthy and Alaa Abdelnaby on the call. The game will not be video webcast.Live Stats InformationAll of Creighton’s games this season will have free live stats. Visit www.gocreighton.com and click on the Live Stats tab on the top of the page for a link the exact URL. Home games can also be followed by those who have mobile devices with internet capability at www.gocreightonstats.com.

Scouting CreightonCreighton owns a 13-2 record, including wins over Nebraska, Arizona State, Saint Joseph’s, Cal, Marquette, Seton Hall and DePaul, in its first season in the BIG EAST. Creighton enters Sunday tied with Xavier for a BIG EAST-best eight-game win streak, with all eight victories coming by double-digits. Four-time BIG EAST Player of the Week Doug McDermott (24.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg., 42.9 3FG%) is the nation’s only returning consensus First Team All-American, as well as the nation’s leading returning scorer. He’s led the Jays in scoring and rebounding each of the past three seasons, was named Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, and has scored 19 or more points in all but one game this year. Creighton’s backcourt returns intact, as well, as Austin Chatman (7.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg., 4.2 apg.), Jahenns Manigat (8.1 ppg., 44.8 3FG%) and Grant Gibbs (6.1 ppg., 4.1 apg) have started every game the past two seasons and maintain a combined 168/63 assist/turnover (2.67) ratio. Gibbs, however, dislocated his kneecap in CU’s last outing at DePaul and is expected to miss at least four weeks of action. Helping to replace Gregory Echenique at the “5” spot have been the duo of Ethan Wragge (12.1 ppg., 49.1 3FG%) and Will Artino (6.0 ppg., 61.3 FG%). Creighton was picked to finish third in the 10-team BIG EAST Conference this winter after returning 11 lettermen and four starters from last year’s 28-8 team that reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament for a second consecutive season.

Scouting XavierXavier is 13-3 this year, including a perfect 11-0 mark at Cintas Center and a 3-0 BIG EAST record. All three of Xavier’s losses (Iowa, Tennessee, USC) came on consecutive days at the Battle 4 Atlantis, but the Musketeers own wins over Tennessee, Cincinnati, Alabama, Wake Forest, St. John’s, Butler and Marquette, among others. Sophomore guard Semaj Christon leads the Musketeers with 15.6 points, 4.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game, and scored a career-high 28 in Thursday’s win vs. Marquette. Also in double-figures is Western Michigan transfer Matt Stainbrook, who scores 11.1 points per contest and leads the team with 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game. Seven men log at least 19.9 minutes per game, and nine men average 10+ minutes per contest on one of the league’s deepest teams. The Musketeers average 74.5 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting from the field, 37.1 percent marksmanship from downtown and 66.9 percent at the line. Xavier holds foes to 64.6 points per game and outrebounds clubs by 7.0 caroms per contest.

The CoachesGreg McDermott (Northern Iowa, 1988) is in the midst of his fourth season as head coach at Creighton. He led CU to a 28-8 mark last year, and is now 93-32 with the Bluejays. McDermott has previously been a head coach at Iowa State (2006-10), Northern Iowa (2001-06), North Dakota State (2000-01) and Wayne State (1994-2000). He owns a career mark of 373-227 in his 20th season and is 242-163 in his 13th Division I campaign. McDermott is assisted by Darian DeVries, Steve Lutz and Patrick Sellers. Chris Mack (Xavier, 1992) owns a 103-47 mark in his fifth year at his alma mater, which also doubles as his career mark. He’s led the Musketeers to three NCAA Tournaments, including Sweet Sixteen bids in 2010 and 2012, and also won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title in both 2010 and 2011. Mack is assisted by Mike Pegues, Travis Steele and Rick Carter.

The Series With XavierXavier owns a 9-6 lead in the series with Creighton, though the Musketeers and Bluejays have split four all-time meetings in Omaha. Creighton won games in 2004, 2005 and 2006, but XU won the past two encounters, a 2007 game in Cincinnati and a 2009 match-up in Orlando, Fla., at the Old Spice Classic. The four previous meetings in Omaha have been decided by a total of 18 points, and none by more than a seven-point margin.Greg McDermott has never faced Xavier or Chris Mack. Mack is 1-0 against Creighton.

Injury UpdatesTwo key senior starters were injured against DePaul and underwent MRI’s on Wednesday. Guard Grant Gibbs (6.1 ppg., 4.1 apg.) was diagnosed with a dislocated kneecap and is expected to miss up to a month. Forward Doug McDermott (24.3 ppg., 7.3 rpg.) sprained the AC joint in his shoulder and is day-to-day.

How’s This, For Starters?If Grant Gibbs can’t play for Creighton, it will snap a streak of 86 straight starts for the Marion, Iowa native. If the past is any indication, a shake-up to the starting line-up hasn’t affected Creighton’s success. Each time Creighton has introduced a new starting line-up in the past three seasons, it’s promptly embarked on a win streak of five or longer.New Line-UpDebut ResultChatman, McDermott, Gibbs, Manigat, Wragge12/3/13 Won first 8 games (8-0 and counting)Chatman, McDermott, Gibbs, Manigat, Artino11/8/13 Won first 5 games (5-2)Chatman, McDermott, Gibbs, Manigat, Echenique11/9/12 Won first 6 (28-8)Young, McDermott, Gibbs, Manigat, Echenique11/11/11 Won first 7 (29-6)Young, McDermott, Korver, Manigat, Echenique2/5/11 Won first game (9-6)Rare Injury Could Shuffle Line-upIf Grant Gibbs cannot play on Sunday, it’ll be the first time in a long time that an injury has sidelined a Creighton starter. The last time a player started a Creighton game, then missed the next game due to injury, came in January of 2009 when Booker Woodfox had a streak of 16 straight starts snapped when he missed a road win at Bradley due to an ankle injury.

Repeat After Me?Creighton is expected to take the floor on Sunday without the services of starting guard Grant Gibbs, which brings to mind a past match-up with Xavier. On Dec. 18, 2005, Creighton defeated Xavier 61-59 in Omaha behind (then) career-highs of 26 points and 10 rebounds by Anthony Tolliver. The Bluejays played that game without injured regulars Nate Funk, Pierce Hibma and Jimmy Motz, as well as reserve big man Steve Smith. Ironically enough, Funk was injured three games earlier in a game played at DePaul’s Allstate Arena.

Who Steps Up?If Grant Gibbs can’t go, it’ll almost certainly result in a one of his teammates making his first career start at Creighton. Creighton’s top three perimeter reserves -- Devin Brooks, Avery Dingman and Isaiah Zierden -- have never started at CU. That shouldn’t come as a big surprise seeing as how starting guards Jahenns Manigat (101), Gibbs (86) and Austin Chatman (51) all own streaks of 50 or more straight starts. Creighton’s fourth-most common line-up this year has been the quintet of Chatman, Manigat, Doug McDermott, Ethan Wragge and Dingman. That group has outscored opponents 68-25 in 26:09 together.

New League, But Similar ResultsBelow is the records for each current BIG EAST school over the last four, eight and 14 (since 2000-01) seasons, ranked by overall wins. The three newcomers to the league, Butler, Creighton and Xavier, are at the top of nearly each category. Creighton’s next two games are Sunday against Xavier and Tuesday against Butler, both in Omaha.Most Wins Since 2000-01 (1/10/14)Team W L Pct.Butler 331 123 .729Xavier 322 125 .720Creighton 321 130 .712Marquette 306 143 .682Georgetown 295 142 .675Villanova 289 158 .647Providence 224 197 .532 Seton Hall 221 198 .527St. John’s 202 214 .486DePaul 178 238 .428

A Very Good AveryWith Grant Gibbs sidelined by injury, junior guard Avery Dingman stepped up in a big way against DePaul. Dingman entered the game with 31 points (2.2 ppg.) in Creighton’s first 14 games this year, but exploded for 16 points in 18 minutes off the bench in Tuesday’s victory. Dingman made 6-of-8 shots from the field, including a four-point play. His 16 points were the second-most of any game in his 86-game career, while his five rebounds were the third-best game of his career.

Double-Figures x 5Creighton had five men score in double-figures on Tuesday at DePaul, as Doug McDermott (19), Avery Dingman (16), Ethan Wragge (12), Austin Chatman (10) and Will Artino (10) each did so. It’s the second time this season that Creighton had five men score in double-digits, as the Bluejays also did that in the opener vs. Alcorn State. That quintet included McDermott (20), Artino (12), Wragge (15), Devin Brooks (15) and Jahenns Manigat (13).

More Than A ShooterHe might look like a lumberjack, but Ethan Wragge went fishing for “muskies” as a freshman when he faced Xavier in 2009. Playing in his fifth career game, Wragge had 21 points in 17 minutes off the bench, sinking 5-of-11 three-pointers against Chris Mack’s club. At the time, it made Wragge the first Bluejay in 25 years (Vernon Moore in 1984) to score more than 20 points in less than 20 minutes of playing time in one game.

Board Battle Is BigOne common theme during Creighton’s eight-game winning streak is that the Bluejays have won the rebound battle in all eight contests. In three BIG EAST contests, the Bluejays have collected 20 more rebounds than the opposition. Dating to last season Creighton has won 17 straight games when winning the battle of the boards, and 76-14 in four years under Greg McDermott when winning the rebound column. Xavier leads the BIG EAST with a +7.1 rebound margin per game.

Grand Milestone Within ReachEthan Wragge enters Sunday’s game with 971 career points and 29 shy of becoming the 37th man in Creighton history to reach 1,000. Sunday will be the 130th game of his career, which would be more than any other player to reach the milestone. His career-high is 22 points, but keep in mind the sharpshooter from Eden Prairie, Minn., scored 21 points in 17 minutes as a true freshman against the Musketeers.Games To 1,000 Points, Last 13 BluejaysName Games to 1,000 pts. DateGregory Echenique 101 03/24/13Doug McDermott 57 01/15/12Antoine Young 115 12/10/11Kenny Lawson Jr. 108 11/21/10P’Allen Stinnett 86 01/16/10Dane Watts 115 01/22/08Anthony Tolliver 124 03/16/07Johnny Mathies 91 03/03/06Nate Funk 92 02/28/05Kyle Korver 81 01/30/02Ben Walker 105 01/06/01Ryan Sears 97 12/01/00Rodney Buford 59 03/01/97

Top Dog At The Halfway PointTwo-time All-American Doug McDermott is a well-known commodity among the national experts who cover the sport. With conference play starting up, numerous national publications and websites have named their Midseason Players of the Year. Among the following individuals/organizations have named McDermott the front-runner for National Player of the Year were: Jay Bilas (ESPN), Jeff Goodman (ESPN), Andy Katz (ESPN), Jay Williams (ESPN), Gary Parrish (CBS Sports), Jeff Borzello (CBS Sports), Jerry Palm (CBS Sports), Jon Rothstein (CBS Sports), CJ Moore (Bleacher Report) and Kelli Anderson (Sports Illustrated).

Some SimiliaritiesCreighton and Xavier are mirror images of each other in numerous areas.-Both schools in their first year in the BIG EAST Conference.-Both schools own eight-game winning streaks and a perfect 3-0 in league play.-Both schools are the atop the BIG EAST in the league rebounding stats.-Both teams have already knocked off preseason favorite Marquette.

Assist Machine?Doug McDermott had nine assists in Creighton’s road trip to Seton Hall and DePaul. He tied a career-high with five helpers at Seton Hall, then had four more assists in the victory at DePaul. The nine assists led directly to 25 points by his Bluejay teammates.

Eight Straight Wins By Double-DigitsCreighton has won eight straight games, all by double-digits. The eight straight double-digit wins is CU’s longest such streak since a stretch of 10 in a row from Feb. 21, 1928 to Jan. 23, 1929.

Link To GreatnessCreighton’s home, CenturyLink Center Omaha, has received several rave reviews in recent weeks. ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman ranked it as the 10th best college basketball arena. Stadium Journey, a site that ranks arenas, named it the 18th-best venue in North America, and fourth-best among college basketball sites. Only Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas), Rupp Arena (Kentucky), FedEx Forum (Memphis) were ranked higher.

Poll PositionCreighton finished last season ranked 22nd in the final Associated Press poll, and made its 2013-14 debut in the top-25 poll on Nov. 18 when it was No. 23rd. The Jays then climbed to a season-best 20th the week of Nov. 25th, but has since dropped out of the poll. CU is 27th this week, listed among those “also receiving votes”. Creighton is 73-26 all-time when ranked in the AP poll. Including this week’s poll result, Creighton has been ranked 30 times in 67 weeks of AP polls under Greg McDermott, and ranked between 26th-to-28th in eight other AP polls. The 30 weeks in the top-25 under McDermott is more than any coach in Bluejay history. In this week’s USA Today Coaches poll, Creighton is ranked 23rd.Most Weeks in AP Top 25 at CU, By CoachGreg McDermott, 2010-Pres. 30 (of 67)Dana Altman, 1994-2010 18Tom Apke, 1974-81 5Eddie Sutton, 1969-74 5

McDermott Named Player of the WeekCreighton senior Doug McDermott picked up two more awards on Monday as he was named National Player of the Week by CBSSports.com in addition to his BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week accolade. McDermott averaged 24.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game in double-digit victories over Marquette and Seton Hall. This is his fourth BIG EAST Player of the Week accolade this season, and his second National Player of the Week Award (also Nov. 18 from ESPN.com). In the write-up on McDermott from CBSSports.com, Gary Parrish writes “McDermott is, quite simply, having one of the greatest college careers in modern history.”

McDermott’s Quest For The Top 30Creighton senior Doug McDermott enters Sunday’s game tied for 36th in NCAA history with 2,581 career points. If he reaches his season average of 24 points, McDermott would move up to 31st place. And should McDermott match his collegiate high of 44 points, he’s rise up to 27th in NCAA history in points. One noteable player he could pass on Sunday is Jimmer Fredette, who owned 2,599 career points while earning National Player of the Year accolades at BYU. McDermott became the first player to reach 2,500 points since Jimmer Fredette (BYU), Andrew Goudelock (Charleston) and Charles Jenkins (Hofstra) did it in 2011, and has passed hoop legends Elgin Baylor, Bill Bradley, Sean Elliott, Rodney Monroe and Keith Van Horn in the NCAA record book during the last few weeks. As good as he’s been, McDermott won’t even be the top college scorer in the building on Sunday. That honor falls to Xavier radio analyst Byron Larkin, who wrapped up his career in 1988 with 2,696 career points, which ranks 21st in NCAA history. Page three of this release lists every player in NCAA history to score 2,500 career points.

A Wonderful DayDoug McDermott celebrated his first game since his 22nd birthday with 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 13-point road win at Seton Hall on Jan. 4th. McDermott was Creighton’s first player with a 30/10/5 line in the same game since Benoit Benjamin had 45 points, 16 rebounds and five assists on Jan. 19, 1985 vs. Indiana State.

13-2 Or Better, AgainCreighton has started either 13-2 or better through 15 games in each of the last three seasons, and five times since 2002-03 (also 2002-03 and 2003-04). The only other teams besides Creighton to start 13-2 or better each of the last three years are Syracuse, Gonzaga and Louisville.

Ball Control OffenseCreighton had just four turnovers in 66 possessions vs. Seton Hall on Jan. 4th, its fewest in any games of Greg McDermott’s 125-game tenure on the Bluejay sideline. Creighton’s four turnovers were its fewest since having three miscues on Feb. 1, 2005 in a win vs. Wichita State, a span of 335 games.

Road WarriorsCreighton has started 4-0 on the road this season with victories at Saint Joseph’s, Long Beach State, Seton Hall and DePaul. Tuesday’s victory gave CU a 4-0 road record to start the second straight season. Before doing it last year, the Jays had not won their first four true road games since 2003-04. Creighton has not started 5-0 in true road gams since 1942-43, something it’ll attempt to do on Jan. 18 at Providence.

Strong Start To League PlayCreighton has started 3-0 in league play for the fourth time in 12 years. The Bluejays have made the postseason each of the last five times its opened league play 3-0, last missing out in 1979-80. Last season Creighton started Missouri Valley Conference play with a 6-0 mark en route to an eventual regular-season title.

Shooting StarEthan Wragge has made multiple three-pointers in each of his last 11 games, a streak that began on Nov. 28 with a pair of trifectas vs. Arizona State. Wragge is 42-for-89 (47.2 percent) from downtown in the past 11 games. Before Wragge, the last Creighton player with multiple three-pointers in 11 straight games was Kyle Korver, who ended his career in 2003 with 13 such games.

Impressive 125 Game StartTuesday night marked the 125th game at Creighton for Greg McDermott. During that time, he’s won 93 games, two MVC Tournament titles, one MVC regular-season title and two NCAA Tournament games while having three of his teams ranks among the top-six nationally in average home attendance. The game was also McDermott’s 600th career game as a head coach. He is 373-227.

Scoring Early & OftenDoug McDermott has scored in double-figures before the second media timeout in five of Creighton’s last seven games, and eight of Creighton’s 15 games this season. In 15 games this year, McDermott has scored 129 points before checking out for the first time, logging a collective 125:58 of court time before hitting the bench. That gives him 1.02 points per minute to start games, good for a 41.0 points per game average if her were to maintain it over the course of 40 minutes. Looking only at the first five minutes of games this season, McDermott has scored 88 points in those 75 minutes, an average of 1.17 points per minute and a per-40 minute average of 46.93 points per game at that pace.

Playing With A LeadCreighton hasn’t trailed by more than six points any of its last eight games, including wire-to-wire double-digit home wins over Nebraska, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California, Chicago State and Marquette. In the 11 year history of CenturyLink Center Omaha, Creighton has led wire-to-wire in 46 games, but this is the first time it’s accomplished the feat in three (or more) straight contests. In all, Creighton has not trailed in its last 220:07 played at home, last facing a deficit late in the first half vs. Tulsa on Nov. 23rd. Creighton has trailed for just 5:52 of 320:00 minutes this season at home, and just 8:06 of its last 400:00 minutes during its 10-game home win streak. Impressively, Creighton has not trailed at any point in the second half during that home win streak, winning all 10 games by double-figures.

Starting On FireSince inserting Ethan Wragge into the starting five prior to the Dec. 3 game at Long Beach State, Creighton has started out strong. Creighton has trailed in just 14:08 seconds of its last 312:30 of action, and the Bluejays have outscored foes 337-221 in the first half of those games. In the last eight games, Creighton’s outscored foes 107-62 from start of game until when Ethan Wragge’s checked out for first time.

Good As GoldNot only has Creighton started games quickly this season, but the Bluejays have also done a good job maintaining those leads. The Bluejays have won 22 straight games when leading with 5:00 to play. Overall under Greg McDermott, Creighton is 85-4 when leading with 5:00 left, including victories in 47 of the last 48 scenarios. The Bluejays are also 3-0 under McDermott when tied with 5:00 to play. CU is 5-28 under McDermott when trailing with 5:00 left, with the last such rally coming on Feb. 25, 2011 at Indiana State.

He’s The Man(igat)Jahenns Manigat averaged a modest 5.6 points per game in the first eight contests this season, making 15-of-33 field goal attempts (45.4 percent). Since returning home from CU’s eight-day trek to California in early December, Manigat has averaged 11.0 points on 26-of-55 marksmanship (47.3 percent) from the floor, including 19-of-40 (47.5 percent) from downtown. Manigat scored 15 points on Dec. 29 in a win over Chicago State, sinking 5-of-7 three-point shots. Manigat then had season-highs with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists in CU’s win over Marquette two nights later. Manigat continued his hot streak with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists at Seton Hall on Jan. 4. This was the first time he’s scored in double-digits three straight games.

Winning On The Road AgainCreighton is 4-0 in true road games this season, having already won at Saint Joseph’s, Long Beach State, Seton Hall and DePaul. The Bluejays also won their road finale last season, at Bradley. According to data at WarrenNolan.com, Creighton’s five-game win streak in true road games is tied for the nation’s longest such streak through games of Jan. 9 along with Princeton and Saint Louis. Creighton is 21-8 in true road games the past three years, and 33-12 when you also include neutral site games.

BCS BustersOne frequent question about how Creighton will handle the move to the BIG EAST is how they’ll handle the nightly rigors of playing against “BCS” competition on a regular basis. In the past three seasons, Creighton is 15-2 against teams from those leagues, with both losses (North Carolina, Duke) coming in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Twelve of the 15 wins came by double-digits, and just five of the games took place in Omaha. Individually, Doug McDermott has scored at least 19 points in all but one of those games (Alabama), and in that one he had a double-double. McDermott has averaged 25.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the 17 games. D. McDermottDate Opponent Score Pts Reb.11/20/11 vs. Iowa W 82-59 25 912/04/11 Nebraska W 76-66 24 1212/22/11 Northwestern W 87-79 27 503/16/12 vs. Alabama W 58-57 16 1003/18/12 vs. #4 N. Carolina L 73-87 20 911/23/12 vs. Wisconsin W 84-74 30 811/24/12 vs. Arizona State W 87-73 29 912/06/12 at Nebraska W 64-42 27 412/15/12 at California W 74-64 34 903/22/13 vs. Cincinnati W 67-63 27 1103/24/13 vs. #6 Duke L 50-66 21 911/28/13 vs. Arizona State W 88-60 27 612/08/13 Nebraska W 82-67 33 812/22/13 California W 68-54 20 1112/31/13 Marquette W 67-49 19 701/04/14 at Seton Hall W 79-66 30 1001/07/14 at DePaul W 81-62 19 5

Give Me SixCreighton’s win vs. Chicago State on Dec. 29th was the Jays fifth straight this season, a streak that reached eight after Tuesday’s win at DePaul. The Bluejays have now had at least one five-game win streak in 16 of the last 17 seasons. Since 1988-89, the Bluejays have made the NCAA’s, NIT or CBI all 18 previous times they’ve had a five-game winning streak in a season, but missed the NCAA/NIT/CBI all seven times they haven’t.

3’s vs. 2’sIn Creighton’s last eight games, the Bluejays have attempted 453 shot attempts, with nearly half (217) of those coming from beyond the arc. Creighton has made 119-of-236 two-pointers in that time, accounting for 238 points (1.01 points per shot). Creighton has made 92-of-217 three-pointers in that time, accounting for 276 points (1.27 points per shot). In its Dec. 29 win vs. Chicago State, Creighton made 16-of-25 three-point attempts, good for 1.92 points per shot attempt from deep. To earn the same point total (48 points) from 25 two-point attempts, Creighton would need to shoot 24-for-25 (96 percent). Perhaps that’s why Greg McDermott said in the postgame press conference: “If you’re going to give us an open 3-point shot, that’s the best percentage shot we can get.” Chicago State head coach Tracy Dildy agreed, “We’ve watched every game they had played, and we knew this was the best shooting team in the country. If there is another team in the country that shoots the ball like these guys shoot, I would love to see that team.”

Deadly From DowntownThrough NCAA games of Jan. 5th, Creighton led the the nation with 159 three-point baskets, is second with 11.4 three-pointers per contest, and fourth with 42.6 percent marksmanship from deep. Creighton has made 10 or more three-pointers in all but two games (7 vs. both George Washington and California), including a season-high 16 vs. Chicago State on Dec. 29. Creighton also ranked third with 18.8 assists per game and second in assist/turnover ratio (1.81).Doug McDermott ranked second nationally in scoring, fourth in total points and was also sixth in field goals made.Ethan Wragge ranked fifth in three-pointers per game, eighth in three-pointers made and seventh in three-point field goal percentage.

More Numbers From DeepCreighton tied a school-record on Dec. 31 vs. Marquette with 35 attempts from three-point range, something previously done vs. North Carolina A&T (11/11/11) and at Bradley (2/1/11). In Creighton’s win on Dec. 29 vs. Chicago State, the Jays had 16 three-pointers, which was the second-most trifectas in a single-game in program history.

Consistent ChallengersEleven of Creighton’s last 16 teams finished either first or second in The Valley’s regular-season race. Two of the five that didn’t won the MVC Tournament. The Bluejays won the MVC in 2000-01 and 2012-13, tied for the title in 2001-02 and 2008-09. CU was second in the MVC in 1997-98 and 2006-07, tied for second in the MVC in 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2005-06, and finished tied for third in 2004-05. The 1999-00 club was fourth in the MVC, but won the MVC Tournament, while the 2010-11 club tied for fourth place.Creighton’s MVC Finishes, Last 16 Years1st Place 2000-01, 2012-13Tied for First 2001-02 (won MVC Tourn.), 2008-092nd Place 1997-98, 2002-03 (won MVC Tourn.), 2006-07 (won MVC Tourn.), 2011-12 (won MVC Tourn.)Tied for 2nd 1998-99 (won MVC Tourn.), 2003-04, 2005-06Tied for 3rd Place 2004-05 (won MVC Tourn.)4th Place 1999-00 (won MVC Tourn.); 2007-08; 2009-10Tied for 4th Place 2010-11

Consistency A KeyDoug McDermott has scored 20 or more points in 12 of the 15 games he’s played in this season, and 19 of his last 23 contests dating to last season. He had 19 points in two of the games where he didn’t reach 20 points. Nationally, only 38 players average 20 points per game or more, which gives you an idea of how hard it is to reach that mark on a nightly basis.

Dougie McAutomatic?Doug McDermott was a perfect 13-for-13 at the line on Dec. 17 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff. McDermott became the first Bluejay to be perfect in 13 or more attempts from the line since Doug Brookins went 16-for-16 on Dec. 16, 1974. In addition to Brookins, the only other CU players to make all of their 13+ attempts in the same game were Mike Caruso (14-14 on 1/21/70) and Bob Portman (13-13 on 1/13/68).

Toe The LineCreighton shot a school-record 75.9 percent from the free-throw line last season, and with much of the same team back, it’s no surprise the team is shooting 75.7 percent at the line in 2013. Creighton has shot 77.3 percent or better from the stripe in eight of the last nine games, connecting on 127-of-154 overall (82.5 percent) in that time. All five members of Creighton’s current starting line-up shoot better than 71.2 percent for their career, and the quintet is a collective 920-for-1140 (80.7 percent) in their Bluejay careers from the line. Creighton has missed two or less free throws in five of its last six games, going 24-for-26 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 11-of-13 vs. Cal, 20-of-22 vs. Chicago State, 4-for-4 vs. Marquette and 7-of-8 at Seton Hall.

Defense ImprovesTwo years ago Creighton ranked 222nd in the nation in field goal percentage defense, as teams shot 44.1 percent from the field. Last year the squad improved to 77th nationally, as teams dropped to 40.7 percent from the floor against the Jays. The team continues to make strides in that area, holding foes to 40.1 percent marksmanship this year to rank 61st nationally. Only six of Creighton’s first 15 opponents have shot 40 percent or better from the field this season. Creighton’s field goal percentage defense of 40.1 percent gives the team a chance to become the first squad since the 1962-63 club to hold foes to 40 percent (39.3%, 706-1795).

Full HouseLast year’s Creighton team ranked sixth nationally in average home attendance, averaging 17,155 fans per game. It’s the seventh straight season that CU has been among the nation’s top 25 in average home attendance, and set an MVC average home attendance record. The figure ranked ahead of 14 NBA teams (76ers, Rockets, Grizzlies, Wizards, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Suns, Bobcats, Pacers, Hawks, Bucks, Pistons, Pelicans, Kings). Creighton also ranked sixth nationally in men’s soccer attendance and 10th in baseball attendance, the nation’s only school in the top-10 of those three sports. This year’s Creighton team is averaging 17,504 through eight home dates, good for fourth-nationally.2013-14 Attendance Leaders (1/10) Rk. School Average Next Home 1. Syracuse 23,810 1/11 2. Kentucky 22,485 1/18 3. Louisville 20,829 1/12 4. Creighton 17,504 1/12 5. Indiana 17,268 1/14 6. North Carolina 17,224 1/18 7. Wisconsin 17,012 1/18 8. Kansas 16,613 1/11 9. Memphis 15,821 1/16 10. Ohio State 15,611 1/12

McDermott In Elite CompanySince the start of his sophomore year (2011-12), Doug McDermott has averaged 23.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 86 contests. That makes him the only college player in the nation to average at least 23 points and seven rebounds per contest in that span. In same time, only NBA guys to do so are Kevin Durant (28.4 & 8.0), LeBron James (26.7 & 7.7), Carmelo Anthony (26.0 & 7.0) and Kevin Love (24.7 & 13.4).

Simply No ComparisonDoug McDermott’s stats this season of 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 42.9 percent marksmanship from three-point range put him in even more elite company than imagined. Since 1997-98, only two other college players have averaged at least 24.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and shot 40 percent or better from three-point range over the course of an entire season, Kevin Durant (25.8 ppg., 11.1 rpg., 40.4 3FG%) at Texas in 2006-07 and Wally Szczerbiak (24.4 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 49.2 3FG%) at Miami (Ohio) in 1997-98. In NBA history, the only players to average 24.3 points, 7.3 or more rebounds and shoot 42 percent or better from three-point range (min. 20 3FG’s) during a season are Larry Bird (twice), Kevin Durant (once) and Dirk Nowitzki (once).

Milestone Watch-Jahenns Manigat is one three-pointer away from moving into a tie for eighth place in school history with 177 in his career.-Doug McDermott is 19 points shy of 2,600. That would move him into 33rd place in NCAA history, passing Jimmer Fredette.-Ethan Wragge needs 29 points to reach 1,000 in his career. Wragge has made just 15 starts in his career. No other Bluejay in the 1,000 point club owns fewer than 59 starts.

Where There’s A WillWill Artino started Creighton’s first seven games, but has shined since returning to the reserve role he was used in during his first three seasons on campus. Artino averaged 5.7 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game during his seven starts, but has averaged 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per contest in eight games off the bench, all wins. Artino had a season-best 13 points off the bench at Long Beach State on Dec. 3, then snared a season-high seven rebounds in 11 minutes vs. Nebraska.When Artino StartsName PPG RPG MPGArtino 5.7 3.0 14.3Wragge 11.7 4.1 23.9Combined 17.4 7.1 38.2

Wragge Time!Ethan Wragge had 15 points vs. San Diego State, then added 16 more vs. George Washington two days later, before wrapping up CU’s trip to California with 15 points at Long Beach State two days later. It marked the first time in his career he’d posted back-to-back contests of 15 or more points, and made him the first Bluejay reserve with consecutive games of 15+ points since Cavel Witter on Dec. 22 & 29, 2009. Wragge finished three games at the Wooden Legacy averaging 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.7 blocked shots. He tied for the Wooden Legacy lead with 11 three-point baskets, converting 47.8 percent of his 23 long-range attempts. Wragge now owns 11 straight games of two or more three-pointers and has twice tied a career-high with nine rebounds in his past eight games. He also became the first player in CU history with 4+ three-pointers in five straight games.

Thirty Point BuckDoug McDermott owns 33 points or more in four of his last nine home games. He scored 41 points in his final home game last year vs. Wichita State (March 2), 37 against UMKC (Nov. 11), 33 vs. Tulsa (Nov. 23) and 33 vs. Nebraska (Dec. 8). McDermott’s 33 points were the most by a Bluejay against Nebraska since Duan Cole had 35 points on Dec. 7, 1991. In his last nine home games, McDermott has played 285 minutes and scored a staggering 252 points. McDermott has scored 30 or more points in 19 career games. By comparison, all other Creighton players since 1991-92 have combined for 17 games of 30+ points in CU’s 711 games played in that period.

Speaking of 30According to available school records, Doug McDermott owns 19 of the 125 games in Creighton history with 30 points or more. Only Bob Portman (22) has more, with Bob Harstad (12) the only other player besides McDermott with 10 or more such contests. In addition, McDermott’s five games this season of 30 points or more are tied for sixth-most in school history. He already owns fourth and fifth place on that list.Most 30-Point Games, Career 30-Pt. Games Name Years 22 Bob Portman 1966-69 19 Doug McDermott 2010-Pres. 12 Bob Harstad 1987-91 9 Paul Silas 1961-64 6 Wally Anderzunas 1965-67, 68-69 6 Cyril Baptiste 1969-71 6 Benoit Benjamin 1982-85

Experienced StartersOne reason for Creighton’s success is its veteran line-up. Creighton’s recent starting line-up has a combined 22 years of college experience under their belt, including 20 seasons at Creighton.Grant Gibbs is a sixth-year senior who is in his fourth year with the Bluejay program. He has started every game the past three seasons and before his recent injury was on pace to challenge CU’s record for career assists.Ethan Wragge is a fifth-year senior who medically redshirted after plantar fasciitis issues during his second year on campus. He is second in school history in three-pointers made, trailing only 11-year NBA veteran Kyle Korver. Both Jahenns Manigat and Doug McDermott are four-year seniors. McDermott has started every game of his career, while Manigat has started all but one of the last 103 games. McDermott already owns Creighton records for career points, field goals, three-point percentage and consecutive free throws made. According to Ken Pomeroy’s advanced statistics, Creighton’s line-up averages 2.44 years of experience, making the Bluejays the 13th-most veteran group nationally, and tops among the nation’s BCS schools.

Comparing OffensesCreighton has had one of the nation’s most effective and most efficient offenses in the past three seasons. With the nucleus from those teams still intact, we thought we’d take a second to compare the 2011-12 and 2012-13 teams to this year’s squad through 15 games:Stat 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14Record 13-2 14-1 13-2FG Made 446 420 420FG% .513 .512 .4833FG Made 134 143 1703FG% .454 .437 .431FT Made 222 209 212FT% .707 .757 .757Rebound Margin +5.3 +3.9 +6.0Assists 303 267 282Turnovers 198 175 158Scoring Average 83.2 79.5 81.5Scoring Margin +13.9 +17.1 +17.7

Bench PointsCreighton’s bench has averaged 26.6 points and 15.3 rebounds per contest. The reserves are shooting 49.8% from the field and 42.4% from downtown. Both Ethan Wragge and Devin Brooks own games of 20 points or more this season in a reserve role.

Korver Sets NBA RecordCreighton alum Kyle Korver continues to extend his NBA record streak of games with a three-pointer. Korver entered Friday’s (Jan. 10) game with Houston with a three-pointer in 105 straight games, smashing Dana Barros’ previous league-record of 89. In 2009-10, Korver set an NBA single-season record by shooting 53.6 percent from three-point range, a record that still stands. Korver played at Creighton from 1999-2003 and owns the school record with 371 career three-pointers, helping the Bluejays to a 29-5 mark as a senior. Korver’s longest three-point streak at Creighton was 28 and snapped by Greg McDermott’s UNI team. His second-longest streak was 27 and snapped by Steve Merfeld’s Evansville team. Korver made at least one trifecta in 114 of his 128 games as a Bluejay.

Let’s Chat About AustinJunior point guard Austin Chatman had the best scoring day of his Creighton tenure on Nov. 23rd when he scored a career-high 19 points in an 82-72 win vs. Tulsa. Chatman had 15 points before the break and made a career-best four three-point hoops on the afternoon. Most recently, Chatman had a career-best eight rebounds vs. George Washington on Dec. 1st. Chatman averaged 1.86 rebounds per game in his first two years on campus, but averages 4.1 per contest this season, including four or more caroms in 10 of 15 contests.

Chasing 3,000In Major League Baseball, producing 3,000 career hits is something that’s been done by just 24 Hall of Famers in history.Doug McDermott has a chance to become just the eighth Division I male in NCAA history to score 3,000 or more points if he can stay healthy and average roughly 25 points per game this season. To help put McDermott’s career in perspective, the chart on page eight shows how many points McDermott owns and which famous ballplayer that is most comparable to. This season alone, McDermott has surpassed legends like Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Ryne Sandberg, Mike Schmidt, Eddie Mathews, Kirby Puckett and Willie Stargell.

Productive MinutesAccording to bbstate.com, Doug McDermott ranks fourth nationally this season with 30.4 points per 40 minutes played. McDermott led the same category last year with 29.3 points per 40 minutes, and was second as a sophomore at 28.7 points per 40 minutes.

A KenPom Delight?Noted statistician Ken Pomeroy’s website, KenPom.com has numerous ratings that break down team efficiencies. The site consistently ranks Creighton’s offense among the nation’s best. Pomeroy’s site (through Jan. 9) ranks Creighton with the best mark nationwide in “Adjusted Efficiency” at 120.8 points per 100 possessions, third in “Assists Per Field Goals Made” at 67.1 percent and first in “Effective Field Goal %” at 58.1 percent.

Rare AirDoug McDermott had 33 points and 15 rebounds in a Nov. 23 win vs. Tulsa, leading to some additional research on the senior All-American. McDermott was the first Creighton player with at least 33 points and 15 rebounds since Bob Harstad’s 33/17 on December 6, 1989 vs. Cleveland State.

Quick Starts Key To Playing in PostseasonIncluding this year, Creighton has started off 3-0 (or better) in 13 of the last 15 seasons. Each of Creighton’s last 14 3-0 starts have been culminated in a postseason tournament appearance at the end of the year. This season marks the third straight year Creighton has opened 4-0, something last done from 2002-03 to 2004-05. The only other time CU started 4-0 in three straight years had come in a five-year stretch from 1916-17 to 1920-21.

Wragge Bombs AwayEthan Wragge has attempted 114 of his 120 shots this season from three-point range, sinking an incredible 56 of them (49.1 percent) behind the arc. He was 7-for-11 from deep in CU’s 83-79 win at Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 16, the most treys by a Bluejay in a game since Booker Woodfox had seven (also at Saint Joseph’s) in 2008. With four three-pointers vs. George Washington on Dec. 1, Wragge moved past Ryan Sears into second place in Creighton history for career trifectas. He now owns 280 career treys. He also ranks sixth in CU history with 43.7 percent marksmanship from downtown. For his career, Wragge has attempted 641-of-694 shots from beyond the arc.

McDermott, For The WinDoug McDermott drained his first career game-winner in a Nov. 16 victory at Saint Joseph’s. With Creighton trailing by one and 6.9 seconds left, McDermott caught an inbounds pass, hit a fadeaway jumper, and was fouled. He converted the three-point play in CU’s eventual 83-79 win. Said McDermott after the game “I didn’t know how to celebrate…I’ve never hit one before.” McDermott is now 7-for-9 from the field and 20-for-24 from the line in the last minute of games in the past two seasons. Creighton had not won a game when trailing in the final minute of overtime since Feb. 21, 2012, when Josh Jones hit a game-winner to beat Evansville in the final 30 seconds of overtime. Creighton had also tied that same game as time expired on a Gregory Echenique tip-in to close regulation. Creighton last won a road game when trailing in the final minute on Jan. 7, 2011, at Southern Illinois, taking the lead for good with 36 seconds left on two Darryl Ashford free throws. Creighton last won a game away from home when trailing in the final five seconds on March 6, 2009, when Booker Woodfox hit a buzzer-beater to stun Wichita State in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals.

Martelli On McDermottEven before Doug McDermott hit a three-point play to beat Saint Joseph’s, Hawks coach Phil Martelli was overwhelmingly complimentary on the skills of Doug McDermott. Here’s what he had to say about McDermott prior to the game: “The country is gaga over these freshmen but McDermott’s the best player in the country. Tell me who does more for their team. They can give the awards at the end of the year to the freshmen because of the media blitz, but that kid is a magnificent, magnificent player.”

Just Like Viejas Arena?Creighton’s win at Saint Joseph’s had some similarities to its road win at San Diego State two years ago. In both games, Creighton faced an early double-digit deficit before cutting into the lead before half (17 at SDSU, 13 at SJU). In both games, Creighton got big nights from Ethan Wragge (19 points at SDSU, 21 at SJU). In both games, Creighton held on to a lead in the last 10 seconds. In both games, Creighton was playing its first true road game of the season, and in front of a sellout crowd known as one of the toughest atmospheres in college basketball.

Big Deficits, Big DealCreighton overcame a 13-point deficit to win at Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 16 before posting an 83-79 win. It was the 10th time in four seasons under Greg McDermott that the Jays have won a game its trailed by double-figures at some point, including six such comebacks away from home. On the other hand, CU is 80-5 under McDermott when putting together double-digit leads, including wins 68 of the last 69 times.Double-Digit Comebacks Under Greg McDermottDeficit Opponent Date17 at San Diego State 11/30/1116 at Evansville 02/16/1314 Evansville 02/21/1213 at Saint Joseph’s 11/16/1312 Saint Joseph’s 12/11/1011 at Wichita State 12/31/1111 Northern Iowa 01/10/1211 vs. Alabama 03/16/1210 UAB 11/14/1210 vs. Drake 03/02/12

@McDermottAlert Has You CoveredRather than clog up its other social media accounts with the many exploits of Doug McDermott, Creighton Athletics has created a Twitter account specific to him, that can be found at twitter.com/McDermottAlert. It contains links to dozens of national profiles and stats on the senior forward, and owns more than 1,400 followers.

Jays Sign A Pair Of RecruitsA pair of high school basketball standouts have signed letters-of-intent to play at Creighton University. Leon Gilmore III and Ronnie Harrell will both be freshmen when they enroll in the fall of 2014 and have four years of eligibility. Gilmore is a 6’7” wing from Manvel, Texas, who attends Manvel High School and plays for coach Greg Devers. As a high school junior, he helped his team to a 30-6 record by averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game. Gilmore competes for the Houston Hoops AAU program. Harrell is a 6’7” wing from Denver (Colo.) East High School, where he plays for Rudy Carey. As a junior he averaged 13.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game, helping the Angels reach the state title game. On the AAU circuit, Harrell plays for Billups Elite, which is supported by his cousin, NBA veteran Chauncey Billups.

20-20-20-20-20-20 VisionDoug McDermott opened his senior season with 20 points vs. Alcorn State, 37 points vs. UMKC, 20 points at Saint Joseph’s, 33 points vs. Tulsa, 27 points vs. Arizona State and 30 points vs. San Diego State. In the process, he became the first Bluejay to start a season with at least five consecutive games of 20 or more points since Bob Portman opened with five straight games in 1968-69.

Use The Four’sDoug McDermott converted a rare four-point play on Nov. 11 vs. UMKC, sinking a three-point shy while being fouled before making the subsequent free throw. Isaiah Zierden followed suit on Nov. 28 vs. Arizona State. Avery Dingman became the third Bluejay to do it when he converted a four-point play at DePaul on Jan. 7. In Greg McDermott’s four-year tenure at Creighton, the only previous players with a four-point play had been Kaleb Korver and Ethan Wragge, who had done it once each.

Crowd ControlCreighton’s sellout crowd of 17,740 on Nov. 8 vs. Alcorn State was its largest ever for a home-opener. It was also Creighton’s largest home crowd for any November game, and the ninth-largest home crowd in program history.

Hottest Ticket in TownCreighton Basketball has proven to be a hot ticket in recent years, but the anticipation for this season has taken those levels up a notch. Creighton sold more than 15,100 season tickets for the first time, a figure that doesn’t factor in students. Last year’s record was 13,739. Creighton has also sold more than 2,100 all-session tickets for the BIG EAST Tournament already, the most by any league school since Connecticut in 2006. When single-game tickets went on sale on Oct. 29, seven games sold out within an hour, including less than 20 minutes for games vs. Marquette, Georgetown, Nebraska, Seton Hall and Chicago State.

Nation’s Best Offense?You can make a case that Creighton boasted the nation’s best offensive production last year. Creighton was second in the country in field goal percentage (50.1) and three-point percentage (41.4), third in two-point field goal percentage (55.7), ninth in free-throw percentage (75.9) and 10th in three-pointers per game (8.5). Below is where Creighton ranked nationally in the first three years of the Greg McDermott tenure (does not include 2013-14):Category Stat NCAA Rank ‘13-14FG Percentage .487 1st .4923FG Percentage .401 2nd .437Assists 1,793 4th 226Assists/Game 16.30 5th 18.83FG Made 874 6th 136Assist/Turnover Ratio 1.34 10th 1.77FG Made 2,852 13th 337Wins 80 T-16th 10Winning Pct. .727 26th .833

Ask The ExpertsESPN had 20 experts predict the 2013-14 season. Nine of them (Jay Bilas, Adrian Branch, Elena Bergeron, Dan Dakich, Jimmy Dykes, Myron Medcalf, Digger Phelps, Miles Simon and Dick Vitale) predicted Doug McDermott would be National Player of the Year. CBS Sports asked six experts to predict the 2013-14 season. Two of them (Doug Gottlieb and Jon Rothstein) picked McDermott would be National Player of the Year. Sports Illustrated had four experts predict the 2014-14 season. Two of them (Seth Davis and Luke Winn) picked McDermott would be National Player of the Year. All told, McDermott collected 13 votes, Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart 10 votes, Kansas’ Andrew Wiggins three votes, Kentucky’s Julius Randle three votes and Louisville’s Russ Smith one vote.

Weekly Honor For McDermott Doug McDermott was named National Player of the Week by ESPN.com and BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 16th after averaging 25.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in three Creighton wins to start the season. McDermott made 55.8 percent from the field, 53.3 percent from three-point land, and 78.6 percent of his free throw attempts. McDermott then earned his second consecutive BIG EAST Player of the Week honor on Nov. 23rd when he got the nod following a 33 point, 15 rebound showing in a 82-72 triumph vs. Tulsa. McDermott earned his third BIG EAST honor on Dec. 9 after averaging 27.0 points and 6.0 rebounds in lopsided wins over Long Beach State and Nebraska. Including his seven MVC Newcomer of the Week honors in 2010-11, 13 MVC Player of the Week honors from 2011-13, and three BIG EAST Player of the Week accolades of 2013-14, McDermott has now won at least one conference weekly award from the MVC or BIG EAST in 24 of 57 weeks since enrolling at Creighton.

McDermott Honored at Wooden LegacyDoug McDermott added to his career honor roll when he picked up All-Tournament Team accolades at the Wooden Legacy. McDermott led all players by averaging 21.3 points per game and also topped all players with 21 field goals made and 16 defensive rebounds. San Diego State’s Xavier Thames was named Wooden Legacy MVP after leading the Aztecs to the title.

Brooks Breaks Harden’s RecordDevin Brooks set a Wooden Legacy for three-point marksmanship. Brooks was 6-for-8 from long-range at the Wooden Legacy (75.0 percent), well ahead of the previous mark set by James Harden of 66.7 percent (10-15) in 2008.

Record WatchWith seven field goals on Nov. 8, Doug McDermott took over sole possession of first place on Creighton’s all-time field goals made list. He now owns 932 in his career. He had entered the season tied with Chad Gallagher (1987-91) for the school-record with 811. McDermott also made four free throws vs. Alcorn State, passing MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Gibson for third in CU history, and now owns 503.

Preseason AcclaimDoug McDermott has garnered a ton of preseason hype you’d expect from a returning two-time consensus First Team All-American. In addition to being named the Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year, McDermott has also been named a Preseason First Team All-American by the Associated Press, USA Today, Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, CBSSports.com, NBCSports.com and Sporting News. McDermott is also one of 30 candidates for the Senior CLASS Award, one of 15 men named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Watch List, and one of 50 players on the preseason watch list for the John R. Wooden Award.

Going For 20, AgainCreighton has won 20 or more games in 14 of the last 15 seasons, a feat that puts the Jays among an exclusive group, nationally. Just five schools nationally have had 20 or more wins each of the last 15 years: Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas and Syracuse. Creighton is one of four schools with 20 or more wins in exactly 14 of the past 15 years. That list consists of Creighton, Kent State, Kentucky and Utah State. That’s better than traditional powers Arizona, Connecticut and Memphis (13 each) and also ahead of Michigan State, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin (12 each).

10 Conference Wins x 17Last season’s Creighton team won 10 or more league games for a 17th consecutive season. On a national basis, the only other current school with at least 17 straight years of 10 or more league wins is Kansas (19). Each of the last 17 seasons has seen the team finish fourth place or better in the league standings as well, though all of those took place in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Postseason x 16Creighton has made the postseason in 16 consecutive seasons. The only eight schools to make the postseason in each of the last 16 years are Creighton, Duke, Florida, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Syracuse.

Postseason Win StreakThanks to an NCAA Tournament win over Cincinnati last spring, the Creighton men’s basketball team has now won a postseason game in a school-record six straight seasons. The previous mark was three in a row from 1962-64. The following five programs are the only ones that have won a postseason game in six straight seasons, including 2012-13: Creighton, Kansas, North Carolina, Purdue and Syracuse.

Preseason BIG EAST PollCreighton was picked to finish third in its first season as BIG EAST Conference members according to a preseason poll of league coaches. Marquette was picked first with 74 points and five first-place votes, while Georgetown (70, 2) was also selected ahead of the Bluejays (61, 1). Rounding out the top half were Villanova (58) and St. John’s (56, 2). Creighton forward Doug McDermott was named preseason BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year by the coaches.

I Know What You Did Last SummerSenior forward Doug McDermott served as a captain for Team USA last summer at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia. Playing under the direction of coaches Bob McKillop (Davidson), John Beilein (Michigan) and Frank Martin (South Carolina), McDermott led the team in scoring (14.1 ppg.), field goals (39), three-pointers (18), free throws (17), free-throw percentage (.895) and minutes (23.8) as the team went 6-2 in eight games. On his way back from Russia, McDermott was invited to the USA Basketball Men’s National Team Mini-Camp along with 28 of the NBA’s rising stars and fellow collegian Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State), where he received rave reviews.

Army of IowansEvery Creighton team since 1988-89 has had at least one Iowa native, and this season is no exception. Creighton has five players from Iowa on this season’s team, continuing a long trend of relying on some of the Hawkeye State’s top preps. CU’s Iowans this season includes seniors Grant Gibbs (Marion) and Doug McDermott (Ames), junior Will Artino (Waukee), sophomore Alex Olsen (Council Bluffs) and freshman John Burns (Algona). Other past notable Iowans include Kyle Korver (Pella), Ryan Sears (Ankeny), Brody Deren (Harlan), Tyler McKinney (Urbandale) and Nate Funk (Sioux City). Creighton has played at least one Iowa native in 636 straight games. That streak dates to a Feb. 5, 1994 win against Wichita State.

Long-Distance Streak AliveCreighton has made at least one three-pointer in 660 straight games since a 59-53 loss at Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1993.

CenturyLink Center Omaha SuccessCreighton has played 178 regular and postseason contests at CenturyLink Center Omaha all-time in 11 seasons at the facility. The Bluejays own an 153-25 (.860) record all-time at the facility, and have never lost there on a Thursday (7-0) or Friday (7-0). Creighton has outscored its opponents 13,396-11,325 in games at CenturyLink Center Omaha, an average margin of 11.8 points per game. Creighton has led wire-to-wire 46 different times, including five times last season and the Nebraska, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, California, Chicago State and Marquette games this year.

Big Margin Leads To Big ThingsCreighton’s 107-61 win on Nov. 8 vs. Alcorn State was its highest point total in a season-opener ever, one point more than the 2002-03 team that opened with a 106-50 win over Texas-Arlington. The 2002-03 team went on to be 29-5. Eight of Creighton’s 18 all-time NCAA Tournament teams have scored 90 or more points in their season-opener. Here’s a look at Creighton’s last six teams to score 90 or more in a season-opener. Final Post- Score Opponent Date W-L Season 107-61 Alcorn State 11/08/13 ? ? ? ? ? 97-65 N. Carolina A&T 11/11/11 29-6 NCAA 106-50 Texas-Arlington 11/17/02 29-5 NCAA 96-50 Western Illinois 11/20/00 24-8 NCAA 93-48 Towson State 11/14/98 22-9 NCAA 93-47 UT-San Antonio 11/30/90 24-8 NCAA

Everybody’s All-AmericanDoug McDermott hauled in All-America honors on a regular basis last year. He was named a First Team All-American by the Associated Press, NABC, USBWA, Basketball Times, CBSSports.com and ESPN.com, and a second-team selection by The Sporting News. He was also named to the 10-man John R. Wooden Award All-America team. Prior to McDermott, the only other player honored by the USBWA with All-America status had been second-team selection Kyle Korver in 2003, and the only prior NABC selections from Creighton had been second-teamer Paul Silas (1964) and third-team selections Benoit Benjamin (1985) and Korver (2003).

Oscar, Bird, DougDoug McDermott set a Creighton (and MVC) record for points by a freshman with 581 in 2010-11. As a sophomore McDermott had 801 points, joining Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird as the only sophomores in MVC history with at least 800 points in a season. Last year McDermott became the first player in MVC history to reach 2,000 career points as a junior, and joined Robertson and Bird as the only players in league history to reach 2,000 points in less than three seasons of work. Below is a list of the most prolific scorers in MVC history, as well as the top single-season scorers in Creighton history (all classes):Top Scorers, MVC History (All Years) Pts. Name, School Years1125 Hersey Hawkins, Bradley 1987-88 1011 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1959-60984 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1957-58978 Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1958-59973 Larry Bird, Indiana State 1978-79959 Larry Bird, Indiana State 1977-78918 Larry Bird, Indiana State 1976-77844 Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State 1984-85 834 Doug McDermott, Creighton 2012-13815 Lewis Lloyd, Drake 1979-80801 Doug McDermott, Creighton 2011-12

Scoring In NumbersDoug McDermott owned 834 points in 36 games last year, an average of 23.2 per contest that ranked him second nationally in scoring. McDermott’s 23.2 points per game ranked fourth-most in CU single-season history and were the most since Bob Portman averaged 26.2 points per game in 1968-69. Portman, who finished fifth nationally in scoring in 1967-68 (29.5 ppg.), was the only previous Bluejay to ever rank in the top-10 of the year-end scoring leaders, before McDermott did it each of the past two seasons (3rd in 2011-12, 2nd last year). McDermott’s 23.2 points per game were the most by a MVC player since Bradley’s Curtis Stuckey (25.1 ppg.) in 1990-91.

Father/Son DuosAccording to the website CollegeHoopedia.com, Doug McDermott is just the sixth man in NCAA history to be named conference player of the year while playing for his father. Joining them on that elite list are Dick/Mark Acres (Oral Roberts), Dick/Tony Bennett (UW Green Bay), Homer/Bryce Drew (Valparaiso), Press/Pete Maravich (LSU) and Clifford/C.J. Reed (Bethune-Cookman). Below is a list compiled by ESPN.com of most points scored by a guy playing for his dad:Name, School Points FatherPete Maravich,LSU 3,667 PressAllan Houston, Tennessee 2,801 WadeDoug McDermott, Creighton 2,581 GregTony Bennett, UWGB 2,285 DickBryce Drew, Valparaiso 2,142 Homer

Repeat All-AmericanDoug McDermott joined some elite company by being named a First Team All-American by the USBWA, Associated Press and the NABC for a second consecutive season last spring. He is the 70th player to repeat the honor from the USBWA, 55th from the NABC, and 51st in the history of the Associated Press. If McDermott is named First Team All-American by the AP this year, he’ll become the first three-time first team selection since Patrick Ewing and Wayman Tisdale from 1983-85.

Not Half BadDoug McDermott’s highest scoring half of his career has been 31 points, done as a sophomore in the second half at Bradley when he scored a career-best 44 points. McDermott has scored 15 points or more in a half 53 times during his career, and Creighton is 44-3 in those contests (six times he’s scored 15 or more in both halves). McDermott owns 11 halves in his career with 20 or more points, and just six scoreless halves.

The 800 ClubCreighton’s Doug McDermott led the nation with 834 points last season after owning a league-high (and second-most nationally) 801 as a sophomore. McDermott joined Oscar Robertson and Larry Bird as the third player in MVC history with multiple 800-point seasons. Nationwide, McDermott was the first player with consecutive seasons of 800 points or more since Stephen Curry (Davidson) and Lester Hudson (Tennessee-Martin) in both 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Supporting CastDoug McDermott was Creighton’s only player to average in double-figures last year, but he had lots of support to help lead the Jays to 28 wins. Creighton was 11-0 when Ethan Wragge scored in double-figures last year. CU is 34-3 under Greg McDermott when Wragge shoots 50 percent or better from three-point range, and 26-3 under McDermott when Wragge scores in double-figures. Creighton was 8-1 when Austin Chatman scored in double-figures last year. Creighton was 6-2 when Jahenns Manigat scored in double-figures last year. CU is now 23-1 all-time when Manigat makes three or more 3-pointers, including 21 straight wins, and the Jays are 23-2 (with 21 straight wins) when Manigat shoots better than 50 percent from 3-point range. Creighton is 14-0 all-time when Avery Dingman makes multiple three-pointers. Creighton is 42-3 all-time when Will Artino (60.5 percent) misses a field goal attempt.

His Own Game of H-O-R-S-EDoug McDermott led the nation in 2011-12 with 307 field goals made, and his 284 buckets last year once again led the nation. Prior to McDermott, no player had led the country in field goals made in back-to-back seasons since at least 1995-96. One area that makes McDermott so unique is his ability to use his off (left) hand, and to use the backboard, as seen below:Year FG Backboard Left-Hand2010-11 220 64 282011-12 307 174 562012-13 284 132 262013-14 121 43 8Totals 932 412 118

What A Start!Greg McDermott is 92-32 on the Creighton sideline early in his fourth year at the helm. The 92 wins are already the most in Creighton history in the first four seasons.Most Wins at CU, First Four SeasonsCoach Years W-L After 4 YrsGreg McDermott 2010-Pres. 92-32 so farTom Apke 1974-78 79-30Eddie Sutton 1969-73 59-43Tony Barone 1985-89 57-62Red McManus 1959-63 56-46Dana Altman 1994-98 54-59Thomas E. Mills 1916-20 53-6Willis Reed 1981-85 52-65A.A. Schabinger 1922-26 50-18

Walk-On Earns Rare StartIt’s not often that a team starts a walk-on, but Doug McDermott isn’t your ordinary walk-on, either. McDermott’s assignment vs. Alcorn State made him the first Creighton player to start while owning walk-on status since Nick Bahe on Nov. 18, 2006. Bahe is currently the program’s radio analyst.

Who Will Start?Creighton utilized the same starting five in every game last season, and four of their five starters had streaks of 71 or more straight starts by year’s end. Creighton was one of two teams to start the same starting five in every game last season, joining Stephen F. Austin. CU’s starting five played together as a group for 424 minutes last season, during which time its outscored the opposition by 129 points. The four returning starters were +52 in 110 minutes with Ethan Wragge last year, and +34 in 44 minutes with Will Artino a year ago.Consecutive Starts, Creighton (Active)Doug McDermott 125 (leads NCAA)Jahenns Manigat 101Grant Gibbs 86Austin Chatman 51Ethan Wragge 8

Rasmussen Named to MBB CommitteeCreighton Athletic Director Bruce Rasmussen began a five-year term on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee on September 1st. He is the only newcomer to the committee for the 2013-14 academic year, replacing last year’s chair, Mike Bobinski.

Championship Duo, Men & WomenCreighton was one of seven schools that won a regular-season conference title in both men’s and women’s basketball last year. That elite group consists of Montana (Big Sky), Akron (Mid-American), Texas Southern (Southwestern Athletic), South Dakota State (Summit), Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt), Gonzaga (West Coast) and Creighton (Missouri Valley).

Pizza Pie, Piled High = WinsThanks to a promotion with Omaha-based Godfather’s Pizza, Creighton season ticket-holders can get a free mini pizza any time the Jays score 75 points at home. History has proven that when the team earns the fans pizza, it often leads to a victory as well. The first three years of CenturyLink Center Omaha (2003-06), Creighton needed 70 points to earn its fans free pizza, and the Jays went 27-3 when reaching that threshold, closing out that run with 12 straight wins. Since upping the standard to 75 points prior to the 2006-07 campaign, Creighton is a perfect 73-0 when scoring 75 points or more at CenturyLink Center Omaha. In other words, Creighton is a perfect 85-0 in CenturyLink Center Omaha since Feb. 6, 2005 when scoring enough points to earn its fans some free pizza.

Good As GoldSince Greg McDermott took over three years ago, Creighton is averaging 79.03 points per home game (4,979 points in 63 home games). That’s a vital number since Creighton is 99-0 at home (70-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 78 points or more and 83-0 at home (56-0 at CenturyLink Center Omaha) when scoring 80 points or more at home dating to a 92-83 loss to Southern Illinois on Feb. 19, 2000.

Last Season RecapCreighton went 28-8 and reached the third round of the MVC Tournament last season. Creighton was ranked in the Associated Press top-25 in 16-of-20 weeks and finished 22nd in the year-end poll.Doug McDermott ranked second nationally in scoring (23.2), breaking his own school-record with 834 points. He repeated as a consensus First Team All-American while also sweeping MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP honors for a second straight winter.Gregory Echenique (9.7 ppg., 6.6 rpg.) and Grant Gibbs (8.5 ppg., 5.8 apg.) were named Honorable-Mention All-Valley, while Ethan Wragge nabbed Sixth Man of the Year accolades. The Jays ranked second nationally in field goal percentage (.501) and three-point percentage (.414), fourth in assists (16.9), sixth in home attendance (17,155) and ninth in free throw percentage (.759). Creighton defeated Wichita State in the regular-season finale to claim the outright MVC title before winning its league-record 12th Valley Tournament title to clinch an NCAA bid with another win over the Shockers. At the NCAA’s, Creighton topped Cincinnati 67-63 before falling to No. 6 Duke in the third round.

Shuttle Service Provided AgainChief Bus will provide complimentary shuttle service from the Creighton University campus to CenturyLink Center Omaha for all men’s basketball home games this season. The service is available to all fans, not just Creighton students. The shuttle will start 75 minutes before tip-off and shuttles will continue to operate the route during the game. The three designated stops for pick-up around the CU campus are: 24th & California (nearside/southbound); 20th & Cass (nearside/eastbound) and at Billy Blues Alumni Grill (outside the Mike & Josie Harper Center in the turnaround which is on the east side of the building). The shuttle will then go eastbound on Capitol Avenue and then go north up 10th Street for drop-off at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance. The route is designed for each shuttle driver to make a roundtrip every 15 minutes. Following the game’s conclusion, the shuttle will start at the CenturyLink Center Omaha convention center entrance on 10th Street and loop the original route with the first of three stops at 24th & California Streets.

Ticket InformationSingle-game tickets for the 2013-14 season went on sale on October 29th at 10 am. Fans can purchase single-game tickets at CenturyLink Center Omaha Box Office, Ryan Athletic Center, all Ticketmaster locations (Baker’s, Younkers), Ticketmaster online at http://www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster and charging by phone at (800) 745-3000. Only upper bowl seats will be available for any game. For more information, call the Creighton Ticket Office at (402) 280-JAYS.